To ensure proper healing and prevent infection, a wound and the surrounding tissue must be cleaned thoroughly. Many industrial injuries, particularly machine related injuries, are difficult to treat due to the presence of petroleum based compounds at or near the site of the wound. Petroleum based compounds are particularly difficult to remove from the area of the wound because of a lack of effective cleansing agents.
Current accepted practices for treating petroleum contaminated tissue include surgical scrub preparation followed by thorough irrigation and debridement of grossly contaminated tissue. Extensive soft tissue debridement is often required in cases where the extent of petroleum contamination is severe.
Naturally, the irrigation and debridement process can be extremely painful to the patient. Additionally, such procedures cause considerable irritation to the sensitive tissue around the area of the wound. Undesirably, the treatment itself becomes a source of trauma to the patient. Thus, there is a need in the art for a method of cleaning petroleum contaminated tissue without necessitating excessive debridement and the accompanying tissue irritation. A cleaning composition that is suitable for use on a variety of surfaces is also desirable.